Interview about Cabin Trunk Multifunctional Carry On Luggage, winner of the A' Fashion and Travel Accessories Design Award 2025
The Cabin Trunk redefines the carry on suitcase by blending contemporary aesthetics with practical functionality and sustainable design. Inspired by vintage steamer trunks, its vertical orientation allows easy access to belongings on the move. Crafted from durable, eco friendly materials, it is built to last and can be repaired indefinitely. In a flip it transforms into a travel desk. In hotels, self-standing piece of furniture, it provides an organized storage. Home away from home. The perfect travel companion for the modern discerning traveler.
View detailed images, specifications, and award details on A' Design Award & Competition website.
View Design DetailsHistorically, travel trunks—especially wardrobe trunks—were designed to be used vertically. They functioned more like mobile wardrobes than suitcases, allowing easy and intuitive access to one’s belongings. Over time, however, modern cabin luggage became more about compliance than comfort. Most carry-on suitcases are designed to lie flat—on hotel beds, airport floors, or pavements—offering little in terms of ergonomics or elegance.At CHAPOGET, we wanted to challenge this convention. The Cabin Trunk reintroduces the vertical format in a refined, modern form— While vintage designs were heavy, their vertical logic was sound. The Cabin Trunk revives this heritage, merging it with contemporary cabin-approved dimensions to create a surprisingly lightweight luggage, fully adapted to the realities of today’s mobile lifestyle. It is a premium cabin-size suitcase that stands tall, literally and symbolically, offering easier access, better organisation, and a unique aesthetic that blends heritage and innovation.We were inspired not only by the timeless appeal of vintage travel trunks, but also by a desire to rethink what intelligent, elegant travel could look like in the 21st century.
Creating a piece of luggage that performs as a suitcase, a cabinet, and a portable desk—without compromising on strength or lightness—was an enormous challenge. We had to design a structure that could be rigid and protective, yet also agile and versatile.Every component was developed to serve multiple purposes, following a strict logic of minimalism and efficiency. Our goal was clear: no gimmicks, no unnecessary decoration—only intelligent features with functional purpose.Crucially, we maintained full repairability. We designed every element for longevity and modularity. Each piece can be -easily- replaced. The result is a luxury travel companion engineered to last. This commitment to durability and functionality ensures that the Cabin Trunk remains a reliable travel companion. In that sense, it's not just multifunctional, but truly future proof.
This was one of our core ambitions. We believe that luxury travel accessories should lead the way in the circular economy. The Cabin Trunk is made from a bespoke flax-fibre composite—developed with our partners—that is featherlight, robust, and 100% recyclable. It’s perfectly suited for modern travel while significantly reducing carbon emissions.This material not only meets today’s ecological standards but also elevates the object’s aesthetic value. Its natural, tactile texture brings a refined, modern feel enhancing the luxury feel of the Cabin Trunk —far from the glossy surfaces of polycarbonate or ABS plastic suitcases. Here, sustainability becomes part of the luxury experience. Each component is modular, allowing for customisation and full repairability—embodying a truly circular design ethos.The Cabin Trunk is a rare example of a high-end cabin suitcase that blends performance, repairability, and sustainable innovation—without ever compromising on elegance. We believe ethics and aesthetics should go hand in hand.
Steamer trunks have long been coveted—some vintage pieces fetch remarkable prices. There is a timeless poetry to them: they evoke the elegance and sophistication of early 20th-century travel, when journeys were grand events rather than routine commutes.With CHAPOGET, we set out to capture that spirit while addressing the realities of modern travel. Times have changed. The democratisation of travel has brought with it new habits—and new constraints. We all know the famous maxim “form follows function”, but in our case, I would say form follows travel conditions and regulations.Today’s cabin luggage must navigate a maze of airline standards. Every millimetre of the Cabin Trunk has been precisely engineered to comply with global cabin size restrictions—without maximizing the internal volume. Its upright form is also a tribute to vintage wardrobe trunks. The vertical lines and structural elements are not just aesthetic choices; they guide the user toward a more intuitive, personal, and even intimate relationship with their luggage.This is not a trunk that follows behind you—it travels with you. Portable, luxurious, and modern, yet firmly rooted in the legacy of travel design. The result is a piece that feels both timeless and quietly radical: lightweight, regulation-friendly, and remarkably spacious.
The answer to this question is quite simple in fact: we have started to experiment and elaborate in the most restrictive environment. We began by researching the strictest airline regulations worldwide. We then reverse-engineered the ideal external dimensions to meet the most conservative cabin baggage limits. Regulations for total weight of carry-on luggage also vary from one company to another, but eventually it will always depend on what travellers put in their suitcases. And for us, this did not change our weight objective: to make the most resistant, yet the most lightweight, piece of luggage on the market.This thorough research led us to the following achievement: the Cabin Trunk offers one of the most generous internal capacities in its class, precisely because we’ve rethought the architecture, the wheel system, and the organisation. By prioritising user experience without ignoring technical compliance, we have also managed to keep our promise for the best functionality.
Many travellers, especially on short stays, never fully unpack. They live out of their suitcase—sometimes out of habit, sometimes because they don't feel at home.We interviewed dozens of frequent flyers and found that most keep their bags on beds, floors, or racks—none of which are ideal. Hygiene, convenience, and the risk of forgetting items are common concerns.With the Cabin Trunk, we wanted to offer a better ritual: a travel piece that becomes part of your space. Once opened vertically, it transforms instantly into a compact wardrobe or bedside cabinet—familiar, accessible, reassuring. It is also a travel desk that allows professionals to work en route or during layovers.It is more than a carry-on suitcase. It is a travelling personal space—designed to support the emotional and practical needs of modern nomads.
In a nutshell, the concept is to assemble flax composite panels and structural elements, to achieve full repairability and an ideal balance between rigidity and flexibility. This approach required rethinking how luggage is built.Every component is modular and replaceable. The base, supported by wheels, requires in any luggage strong reinforcement for a better stability and to ensure that wheels roll smoothly. Panels and structural elements have been designed to limit the number of components and to guarantee the greatest possible robustness. Screws make sure that the assembly method remains mechanically strong, safe, and easy to repair. The matching tool to unscrew and disassemble the Cabin Trunk is ingeniously provided inside, in case it is needed. No glue, no stitching, not even a zip. That means there are no parts that cannot be repaired or changed. And most importantly, anyone can do it. No expertise required, no need to send it to a store or a workshop.This system offers genuine longevity. The Cabin Trunk is made to accompany its owner for decades. It is the exact opposite of built-in obsolescence. It is the opposite of built-in obsolescence—a stance we consider fundamental for both sustainable luxury and honest design.
Traditional cabin trolleys are designed horizontally, forcing you to unpack entirely or fumble in awkward positions to access essentials. Anyone who has knelt on an airport floor to grab a charger or passport knows the frustration.The Cabin Trunk opens vertically, with compartments that are immediately visible and reachable. It is ideal at security checkpoints, for inflight access, or in hotel rooms. No need to dig through piles of clothing. Your laptop, toiletries, and documents are right where you need them.For business travellers, the integrated desk provides instant productivity. We turn chaos into calm – the hallmark of smart cabin luggage.By tackling these micro-frustrations—often overlooked in mainstream luggage design—we have created a more intuitive travel companion, allowing travellers to feel elegant and at ease in all circumstances.
As we aimed—and proudly managed—to offer the largest possible packing volume for our travellers, the body of the Cabin Trunk was designed to comply with airline size requirements without sacrificing internal space. One of the key challenges was the wheels: typically, luggage loses a significant amount of volume because of them. We saw that as wasted space.Of course, wheels are essential—especially spinner wheels, which typically come in sets of four. But they also tend to protrude, making them more vulnerable to impacts. It’s no coincidence that wheels are the most common point of failure in conventional luggage.We were shocked by this assessment, and it became one of the key design problems we wanted to solve. From the outset, we knew we wanted to keep large wheels. They offer a more elegant silhouette, better stability, smoother rolling, and improved weight distribution. In short: the larger the wheels, the more efficient the travel experience.Our patented foldable wheel system was the answer. It combines all the benefits of large wheels with a reinforced base, delivering strength and performance whether the wheels are deployed or folded away. When folded, they are fully protected from shocks and bumps during travel. They also sit flush with the trunk’s body, meaning they don’t protrude—and crucially, they’re not included in size measurements during airline cabin checks.The core engineering challenge was to ensure the robustness of the base while keeping the mechanism compact and secure. To tackle this, we drew inspiration from other industries—I personally adopted some of the thinking and methodology used in racing car design.
I wish to inspire a new kind of travel experience, and I hope the Cabin Trunk will help shake up the industry and prompt us to reconsider the way we travel. Much of what made past journeys so memorable has been overlooked—and it’s time to rediscover the pleasure of travelling again.I truly hope the Gold A’Design Award shines a light on the achievement behind the Cabin Trunk: the ambition, the challenge, and the hard work it represents. It stands for a shift—a move towards better, more sustainable travel. A pioneering object, it serves as a bridge between the elegance of the past and the pragmatism of the future.This is something no one can take away from the Cabin Trunk. And if it contributes—even modestly—to changing how the industry views modern travel and travellers, then that would be proof that its vision and design matter and deserve to be remembered.If that influence materialises, it would be the greatest recognition—not only for CHAPOGET, but for the kind of travel we value, and, of course, for me personally. Winning the A’Design Gold Award is not just an honour; it validates a deeper mission: to help steer the luggage industry towards smarter, more sustainable, more soulful products. And if CHAPOGET can be part of that shift, then our journey is already a success.
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